A Coin with Three Sides
by OneDarkandStormyNight
Summary: After Merlin's soul was bound to Arthur's, it was rent in two, so that his magic might continue being Arthur's light and comfort even should Merlin himself be killed in the battle. The half of that soul within him is called Merlin. The other, Myrddin. AU


"_Huh. This history book says that 'Myrddin' is another version of 'Merlin.' Those names sound cool together. It would've been awesome if Colin had a twin; then, there could have been a Merlin _and _a Myrddin."  
And thus this story was imagined by a sixteen-year-old girl who hates doing her schoolwork and instead creates random plotlines out of thin air._

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**Introduction**

"You called for me, young warlock."

It was not a question, as it never was, for the sorcerer's call was unmistakable and impossible to imitate.

"Yes," Merlin said anyway, his boyish face smiling as he looked up to the great dragon's ancient face, his own skin milky in the moonlight. "I wished to thank you for all you have done for me, and for Arthur. I know how much you desire to see Albion united under his reign."

"That is my greatest motivation, young warlock, but do not think it is the only one in my heart. I know I wronged you once, but surely you must know that I am loyal to you, and to our king."

Merlin's smile grew softer, and his eyes seemed to brighten at the sincerity of the old dragon's words.

"I wished to ask you more thing, as well," he admitted, and though his expression did not seem to change, Kilgarrah knew immediately that his lord grew serious, and his golden eyes stayed fixed upon him attentively.

"Ask what you will, sorcerer," he subjected. "I will tell you anything that I can."

Then, as the dragon predicted, the light smile faded from Merlin's face, and he looked down to the dark ground for a long moment before raising his head again.

"More than once," he said, his voice solemn as his eyes but not without an honest gleam of curiosity, "I have nearly given my life for Arthur's. I know that it was not my destiny to die any of those times."

"Arthur will always need to be protected, young warlock," Kilgarrah reminded him gently. "His life is of limitless value for what greatness it will bring."

A small smile seemed to tug at Merlin's lips, a bit different from the simple one of before.

"I know," he answered with a twinge of pride and admiration. "That is why I must ask this."

"What troubles you, Merlin?" Kilgarrah leant closer down so that he might better see the unhappy darkness sweeping across the sorcerer's demeanor.

"I will fight to remain at Arthur's side; you know that I always will."

"Yes."

"But, if there comes a day when I can no longer be with him, if there comes a battle that I cannot win, and I lose my life fighting to save his,"—He looked with an odd sort of pleading into the eyes of his brother in magic.—"I must know for certain. What can I do to ensure that Arthur will always be safe, even if I am not here to keep him? I do not want his life to have to end just because mine does."

The dragon's large head turned away from Merlin for a moment, golden eyes blinking slowly as he thought of what his answer should be to this question from the sorcerer's pure heart.

"Only the gods know what your fate will be, and what Arthur's will be," said he at long last.

"Is there nothing I can do?" Merlin pressed on desperately, pleadingly.

"There is nothing," affirmed the dragon. "You must accept that your life was given you by your creators, and when it is over, there is no returning to it again except by their will. But fret not, young warlock. I told you once that you and Arthur are two sides of the same coin. There is a third side of which I did not tell you."

Merlin's head, bowed under the burden of his friend's words, raised at this.

"A third side?" he repeated, eyes wide with this new revelation.

Kilgarrah nodded, slowly and solemnly.

"Your magic," said he, powerful and mystical voice rumbling over the empty field, "is immortal, Merlin. It is part of the boundless power of the gods themselves, designed and begotten for one purpose, and one alone. That is to guide, protect, and serve the Once and Future King in all times of joy and trial. This magic cannot be destroyed; neither can it be removed from this world until Arthur's need of it is over; then, it will venture with him into the next life of which only the gods can know."

Merlin said nothing, only waited with bated breath for the wise creature to continue.

"If your life is ended too soon, and your soul passes into the next existence before Arthur's, there is but one way that the king will continue to survive, despite the darkness of evil. Your magic, _the Emrys_, must find another soul to thrive upon."

Merlin inhaled a sharp breath through his nostrils.

"How can it do such a thing?" he inquired. "Will it choose one that has not yet been born, as it did me?"

"_The Emrys_ is a delicate and extraordinary entity," the dragon told him firmly. "It will not choose just any mortal to inhabit. Its holder must be as you are—wise and courageous, with compassion enough to keep it and selfless enough to wield it for Arthur's sake. And now that Arthur is king, it will not wait for a child to reach that point of stability."

Merlin's brow furrowed as the faces of his many companions flashed across his mind.

"Who, then?" he questioned.

"He is called Myrddin."

Merlin's eyes grew wide once again, for the name meant nothing to him and yet he could feel a mysterious connection to it.

"He lives now?" he pressed in startlement. "Where?"

"That I cannot tell you, because I do not know, Merlin. I know only this: that there is none other besides you whom the Emrys will accept as its keeper. After your soul was bound to Arthur's, it was rent in two. The half within you is Merlin, and the other is Myrddin.

"May the gods forbid it, but if the time does arrive that you must die prematurely, you will retain a piece of your magic to take with you, but the rest will be passed to Myrddin, to carry out the work for which you were both created—to be Arthur's light in this dark world."

With that, Kilgarrah's wings spread out around him, and he rose and vanished into the night sky, leaving Merlin to stand alone in wonderment.

In the glow of the moonlight, the young warlock smiled in peace. It was comforting, he pondered as he made his way back to the welcoming walls of Camelot, that whatever may happen, the magic within him would be ever attentive to Arthur. Even with his mind settled and heart freed of the worry which had been weighing down upon him for so many days, he could not help but chuckled lightly to himself, for how often he had come to Death's doorstep, only to take himself away again? Surely he would not be separated from Arthur after so many long years of being constantly with him; the gods wished for him to stay to be Arthur's guardian and guidance, and so he would for as long as he lived, until he was as aged and feeble as his eighty-year-old counterpart.

With that assurance, he drifted into a warm and comfortable sleep in his bed, listening to the quiet snores of Gaius from the other room and smiling softly as he dreamt of the great wonders manifested in his own life, of the people and the magic which surrounded him, and of what it might be like to stand, old and grey, beside an equally old and grey King Arthur.

Three days later, he died.

**To be continued**

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_Come on. You know you saw it coming.  
So I made this a bit short and less detailed than normal because the attention was focused more on the dialogue and the prelude of Myrddin than it was Merlin's actual reaction to the news. I'm not sure if I like it, but I think it gets the message across and I'd rather not put too much focus on the Introduction, anyway. Chapter I will be much more in-depth, so stick with it if you'd like to meet Merlin #2. ( I know I would.)_


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